Climbing Passport

1. Climbing category — high-altitude and technical

2. Climbing area — Southwest Pamir, Rushan Range

3. Climbing route — First ascent of the north face of Peak Pathor 6083 m

4. Climbing characteristics:

   Height difference 1520 m. Average slope 65°. Length of difficult sections 700 m.

5. Number of pitons:

   Rock pitons 163, ice pitons 55

6. Total climbing hours 69 h

7. Number of nights 5, including two semi-sitting nights.

8. Team.

   The ascent was made by a team of instructors from the Varzob alpine camp, CS DSO "Tajikistan"

9. Surname, name, patronymic of the team leader, participants, and their qualification.

   Kapitanov Oleg Viktorovich, Master of Sports, team leader Bezverkhov Sergey Nikolaevich, Candidate for Master of Sports, participant Galitsyn Yuri Nikolaevich, Candidate for Master of Sports, participant Zhurkin Vladimir Mikhailovich, Candidate for Master of Sports, participant Pletmintsev Vladimir Vasilievich, Candidate for Master of Sports, participant Rizaev Leonid Mukhamedovich, Candidate for Master of Sports, participant

10. Team coach Sogrin Sergey Nikolaevich, Master of Sports of the USSR

II. The ascent was made in the following period:

• July 26 — departure from the expedition's base camp
• July 27-28 — processing the route
• July 29 — starting the ascent
• August 4 — descent to the expedition's base camp

Introduction

In the last decade, a trend has emerged in the development of mountaineering in our country towards climbing routes on well-trodden paths and familiar peaks at the USSR Championship. This was due to the ease of preparing expeditions or organizing ascents in well-known areas or even on well-trodden walls. This ensured and guaranteed the success of the event. Many routes are well-known on:

• Ushba,
• Peak Communism,
• in the Fann Mountains,
• in the areas of Peaks Marx and Engels,
• in other popular areas.

Despite the crisis in choosing objects, it continues to deepen. Evidence of this is the numerous applications for the XXVI USSR Championship on popular peaks.

Thus, the pre-war traditions of Soviet mountaineering in exploring and studying mountainous regions of our homeland were forgotten.

The construction of roads in the mountains, modern means of transportation, and the use of helicopters open up even greater possibilities for mountaineers, which are not being fully utilized today.

In our opinion, the inevitable logic of events is pushing Soviet mountaineering towards sporting problems in little-explored areas, inscribing deserved victories of conquerors of:

• Ushba,
• Chatyn,
• Peak Communism, and other peaks into its history.

Browsing through the notes of E. M. Abalakov, we became interested in the Rushan Range. One phrase caught our attention:

"The western ridge of Pathor is very sharp and difficult. The northwestern ridge is completely snowless, steep, and impossible for ascent. The northern ridge is even more precipitous and snowless. There is no path for ascent from the east..."

We understood that modern conditions, the latest equipment, and the growth of mountaineers' technical skills had changed the assessment of the possibility of passing a particular route. The problematic routes of the 30s and 40s have become a reality today. Nevertheless, the statement was highly authoritative...

Further study of the area convinced us that no one had seen the Rushan Range from the north, and the area around Pathor was unexplored. This presented great opportunities for choosing objects, but also carried some risk. We were opening up a completely unexplored new area for mountaineering. A reconnaissance was necessary...

Brief Geographical Description of the Area and Climbing Conditions

The Rushan Range is the northern boundary of the Southwest Pamir. It has a latitudinal direction and is located between the Bartang and Gunt river basins. This intermediate position of the Rushan Range imposes its own characteristics on the natural conditions of the area, which is influenced by both the Southwest Pamir and the Central Pamir.

Geologically, the Rushan Range is part of the young folded structures of the Southwest Pamir, which results in a sharply dissected relief with deep gorges and pointed peaks. Most of the peaks and highest parts of the ridges are composed of hard, very solid, coarse-grained granites, usually light in color. Black, very unstable, and intensely layered rocks are also widespread, making ascents difficult.

Limestones have limited distribution, often being quite soft and fractured, gray or reddish in color. Other rocks found in the area have very limited distribution and are of no interest from a mountaineering perspective.

The average height of the Rushan Range exceeds 5000 m, and its highest point, Peak Pathor, has an elevation of 6083 m. The Rushan Range has an asymmetric profile.

The southern slopes and spurs are shorter, with the upper reaches of the valleys and glaciers rising high towards the range. Therefore, the rivers flowing from the Rushan Range into the Gunt have a steep drop and rapid current.

The northern slopes of the Rushan Range drop steeply into the valleys, which lie deep in the northern spurs of the range. The river flow here is relatively calm in wide valleys. The slopes above the valleys are steep, and in the upper part, they turn into dissected rocky walls.

The relative height of the surrounding ridges and peaks above the valley reaches 1.5-2 km.

The name "Rushan" means "bright, beautiful place." To a large extent, this name is justified by the presence of many sunny days a year and low cloud cover. However, compared to other areas of the Southwest Pamir, the influence of the Central Pamir is felt, and cloudy days are not rare, even in summer.

Climatic features of the southern latitudes and the Pamir plateau have imprinted their character on the glaciation and relief of the Rushan Range.

Strong solar radiation, combined with steep slopes, has created conditions under which the accumulation of snow and ice masses on the slopes of the ridges is insignificant compared to the Central Pamir.

In mid-July, ice is exposed on the slopes.

In the upper reaches of the valleys, under the steep slopes of the ridges, snow and ice masses accumulate, forming a large number of independent, dissected, short glaciers.

The flora and fauna are very scarce. Grass and small shrubs grow along the rivers in the valleys, and birch groves are occasionally found.

The Rushan Range remains a "white spot" for mountaineers to this day.

The first information about the high-altitude zone of the Southwest Pamir dates back to 1937, as a result of the work of the talented geologist S. I. Klunnikov. Having penetrated from the Gunt river gorge into the central node of the Rushan Range, he was the first to discover and describe a peak rising above a powerful glacier, which, according to the researcher's measurements, reached a height of 7130 m. Local residents called it Pathor, which translates to "Thorn."

After successful expeditions in the 20s and 30s by the USSR Academy of Sciences to study the Central Pamir and unravel the Garmo node, S. Klunnikov's information about the seven-thousanders in the Southwest Pamir sparked great interest among mountaineers. However, the war prevented the implementation of the planned studies and exploration of the Southwest Pamir.

Only in 1946 did the All-Union Committee for Physical Culture and Sports organize an expedition, whose participants, led by E. M. Abalakov and E. A. Beletsky, reached the highest point of the Rushan Range — Peak Pathor — on August 14, 1946, via the western ridge, category 5A difficulty. The same year, the true height of the peak was established — 6080 m.

After the 1946 ascent, only two expeditions visited the Rushan Range, repeating the ascent to Pathor:

• The TurkVO expedition in 1956
• The Tomsk mountaineers' expedition in 1967, which laid a new route to Pathor from the south, category 5B difficulty.

All expeditions began their journey from the Gunt along the Patkhor River, following the path indicated by S. Klunnikov.

From the north, Peak Pathor is hidden in the depths of the Raumid-Dara and Gey-Dara gorges. It is not visible from the Bartang, and local residents are unaware of the existence of a peak called Pathor.

The gorges and ravines of the Bartang long blocked the path to the Rushan Range from the north. A significant obstacle on the way was the crossing of the mighty Bartang. Now, with the construction of a road along the Bartang to Si-Pondzh, the Raumid-Dara gorge has become practically easily accessible.

• From Rushan, 37 km by car to the village of Khidzhis, located at the mouth of the Raumid-Dara.
• Further along the valley, a good trail allows you to ascend in 1-2 days to picturesque green meadows, where the Base Camp is organized.

The expedition of the Sports Committee of the Tajik SSR set up its Base Camp at an altitude of 3500 m above the Bavraz summer pasture under the beautiful rocky peak 5151 m. The choice of the Base Camp location was determined by the main tasks of the expedition, which included:

• Ascent to a nameless peak in the Pakh-Dar gorge,
• Traverse of the peaks from Khobrot-Kukh to Peak Pathor (both ascents — participation in the USSR Championship by the team of the Sports Committee of the Tajik SSR),
• Ascent to Peak Pathor from the north by the team of the Varzob alpine camp, which applied for this route in the high-altitude and technical class at the USSR Championship.

Organizational and Tactical Plans for Team Preparation and Ascent

I. Preparatory Period before Departure to the Mountains. Object Selection and Reconnaissance

The allure of exploring new routes on beautiful Ushba or finding another variation of ascent to Chapdara or Peak Communism is strong, but the unknown always beckons more. This eternal human striving, which brings joy and fills mountaineering with an attractive force, making it forever alive.

These thoughts preoccupied us when, after a successful participation in the 1974 USSR Championship and winning silver medals, the team's core decided to explore the Rushan Range for the upcoming ascents.

The idea of creating a national team emerged several years ago. However, there were difficulties related to the specifics of mountaineering development in the Republic and established traditions. The main task was to unite the scattered forces of mountaineers from various societies and cities.

The Sports Committee of the Tajik SSR and the Varzob alpine camp became the base. With the active support of the Sports Committee, a long-term plan for creating a national team was developed. According to this plan:

• Particular attention was paid to preparing young mountaineers for inclusion in the national team;
• A significant place was given to year-round general physical training;
• Special training for mountaineers was conducted.

The successes of Tajikistan's mountaineers were not long in coming: a bronze medal at the 1971 USSR Championship, a silver medal in 1973, and another silver medal in 1974.

The national team was replenished with young mountaineers as early as autumn 1974. To maintain sports form, regular training was conducted at their sections in Nurek and Dushanbe in accordance with the plan.

Team coach Sogrin S. N., regularly visiting Nurek, could judge the degree of preparedness of both the Nurek and Dushanbe team members.

In the spring, technical training was conducted on rocks, and trips to the mountains for training and ascents were organized.

Having chosen the little-studied Rushan Range as the area of activity for the national teams of Tajikistan in 1975, we understood that only thorough preparation and detailed study of the area and its features could ensure the success of the expedition.

Due to the lack of any information about the area, as well as for route selection, reconnaissance was planned from the air in the spring.

To obtain information about the area, all available literature was studied, and correspondence was established with the leader of the Tomsk expedition to Pathor in 1967, G. Andreev, who kindly provided materials on the area.

A meeting between team coach S. Sogrin and Moscow "Lokomotiv" tourists, brothers G. and Yu. Romanov, who crossed the Rushan Range in the area of Pathor, was very useful for preparing the expedition, choosing objects, and clarifying organizational plans. Their advice made significant changes to the plans.

It was decided that the main path of the expedition would go along a fundamentally new route from the north, rather than from the south along the Patkhor River, as previous expeditions had done.

Having planned a reconnaissance of the Rushan Range by helicopter in the spring, everyone eagerly awaited the possibility of its implementation, but weather conditions and the busy schedule of helicopters in the air squadron kept delaying the departure. When the team members' impatience reached its limit, and the deadlines had expired, both the synoptics and helicopter pilots gave the "go-ahead" for departure. The reconnaissance posed broad tasks:

• Studying access routes,
• Presence of settlements,
• Height of glaciers,
• Character of valleys,
• Clarification of the area's orography,
• Mountaineering possibilities of the area,
• Choice of Base Camp location,
• Possibility of helicopter landing,
• And most importantly, the selection of ascent objects and photo shooting.

Already upon approaching the Rushan Range from the north, the highest point — Peak Pathor — stood out clearly. Everyone was concerned about one question: is there a wall on Pathor from the north, as E. M. Abalakov wrote in his reports? The helicopter flew along the Raumid-Dara gorge. Pathor became increasingly closer — there was no wall. A technical class object was already found, but the wall on Pathor was not visible. We asked the helicopter commander to make a complete circular flyaround of Peak Pathor. The machine heavily crossed the Rushan Range in the area of the Udaryf settlement and made a steep turn towards the Markovsky glacier. The familiar southern slopes of Pathor, known from photographs, opened up. Nothing new was found. The helicopter "aimed" to pass through a narrow saddle east of Pathor — the Shteklizar pass, with an elevation of over 5000 m.

The saddle quickly flashed by a few meters below us, and to the left, a grandiose view of the snow-covered eastern wall of Pathor opened up. The entire wall was cut from top to bottom by steep grooves, between which ran steep ridges, plastered with hoarfrost and ice. Indeed, "there is no path from the east...".

And suddenly, a view of Peak Pathor from the northeast opened up. There is a wall! Steep rocks, ice, and at the top, two hanging glaciers capping the peak are visible. The wall descends into the Gey-Dara gorge. A problem arises. Where to set up the Base Camp, and how to approach the wall? The helicopter is already leaving Pathor — the fuel supply is running out. Decisions need to be made quickly, and we need to examine everything, while clicking away with cameras.

A quick decision is made: the Base Camp should be set up in the Raumid-Dara gorge, so we need to examine the possibility of transitioning through the northern ridge under the wall. Even when approaching Pathor along the Raumid-Dara gorge, the peak 5447 m drew attention, where a convenient saddle was visible, and what was on the other side... It seems there is a path down — that's the main thing. Details will be clarified from photographs and during ground reconnaissance.

II. Training Cycle in the Mountains

The training cycle in the mountains was divided into two stages.

Stage I included:

• Active acclimatization;
• Joint technical training for the entire team.

To accomplish this task, the entire team worked from the first shift in the camp.

Technical training was conducted on high-difficulty training rocks. The following were practiced:

• Rope extraction system,
• Organization of bivouacs on sheer cliffs,
• Overcoming complex relief using free climbing and artificial holds.

The first stage of preparation was completed with an ascent by the entire team to the western wall of the Varzob "saw" via a category 4A route.

Stage II of preparation involved:

• Increasing the level of acclimatization in the ascent area;
• Parallel reconnaissance of the approach route under the wall;
• Clarification of the ascent route.

For this purpose, the team was sent on foot to the Base Camp upon arrival in Rushan. They were to:

• Choose a location for the Base Camp;
• Receive cargo from the helicopter;
• Conduct initial reconnaissance before the arrival of the rest of the expedition team.

On July 7, the team arrived on foot at the Base Camp. On July 8, reconnaissance was conducted to the 4400 m saddle and under the Lедовая peak, from which the path to the saddle near peak 5447 m and the northern ridge of Peak Pathor was examined, through which the delivery under the wall was to be made.

On the evening of July 10 and the morning of July 11, the rest of the expedition team arrived at the Base Camp by helicopter and on foot.

Subsequently, the team members conducted preparation in two groups.

• The first group of three (Kapitanov, Yaroslavtsev, Bezverkhov) participated in the USSR Championship in the technical class on peak 5241 m as part of the Sports Committee of the Tajik SSR team.
• The second group (6 people) was engaged in delivery, reconnaissance, and observations with acclimatization at heights up to 5500 m.

III. Route Characteristics and Tactical Ascent Plan

When preparing the ascent to Peak Pathor via the north wall, the team faced complex organizational and tactical tasks.

The first problem was that the route begins from the neighboring Gey-Dara gorge, which is separated from Raumid-Dara by a ridge — the northern spur of Pathor, with a height of over 5000 m along its entire length. A detour along the valleys through Bartang would have taken more than a week and required organizing a separate mini-expedition. Landing a helicopter under the north wall was not possible. The only remaining path was a transition through the 5200 m saddle north of peak 5447 m.

This option was tempting because, despite some technical complexity and organizational issues, it simultaneously solved the second task — reconnaissance, observation, and study of the "live" wall in close proximity. From the shoulder of peak 5447 m, the north wall of Pathor was visible as if on the palm of one's hand. The need to solve the second problem was particularly acute for the team, as the possibility of ascending the north wall of Pathor after the spring reconnaissance was doubtful. On one hand, the hanging glaciers lying high under the very peak on a very steep bed were a concern; on the other hand, the character of the rocks forming the wall was unknown. Judging by the reports of ascenders to Pathor from the south and west, the rocks were very broken.

Based on this, after the spring aerial reconnaissance and obtaining the first photographs of the wall, the team repeatedly discussed two options for the route to the summit:

• Left, along the counterfort
• Right, along the center between the glaciers

However, the photographs were "dead," and without direct contact with the wall, this issue could not be resolved.

Along with reconnaissance and studying the route, it was impossible to forget the need for serious acclimatization, considering the high-altitude and technical class of the ascent.

Therefore, the "5447 m peak" option (as it was conditionally named) turned out to be the most acceptable for resolving all three tasks, although it was complex. The success of its implementation primarily depended on the fulfillment of the USSR Championship application by the Varzob alpine camp team.

While three team members were climbing the wall of peak 5241 m, the rest of the team — 6 people (Zhurkin V. M., Pletmintsev V. V., Rizaev L. M., Gusev V. S., Lavrushin V. I., Galitsyn Yu. N.) — solved the "5447 m" problem from July 12 to 23.

In chronological order, the following tasks were performed:

• Reconnaissance of the 5200 m saddle and delivery on July 12 by the entire team.
• Two people (Lavrushin, Gusev) remained on the shoulder of 5447 m for observation, while the others descended to the Base Camp.
• Rest on July 13.
• On July 14, the quartet (Rizaev, Galitsyn, Pletmintsev, Zhurkin) made an exit to the saddle between Pathor and 5447 m to assess the route's character in profile.
• Rest on July 15.
• On July 16, the same quartet made a second delivery to the 5200 m saddle, relieving the observation duo (Galitsyn, Rizaev).
• The others conducted reconnaissance of the descent from the saddle under the wall on July 17.
• Return to the Base Camp on July 18 and rest on July 19.
• On July 20, the rested quartet made a third delivery to the 5200 m saddle, relieved the observers (Zhurkin, Pletmintsev), and together, they delivered the cargo under the wall.
• Return to the Base Camp on July 22.
• On July 22, the observation duo (Zhurkin, Pletmintsev) dismantled the observation point, delivered the cargo under the wall, and returned to the Base Camp on July 23.

At the same time, the observation duo was constantly and alternately stationed on the shoulder of peak 5447 m, acting as an active relay for the group ascending the wall of peak 5241 m and informing the Base Camp. Due to the organization of reliable mutual radio communication, it was possible to coordinate the actions of all groups and clarify stage-by-stage tasks.

After such a long and detailed study of the routes, the team had exhaustive information about the "life" of the wall and could judge the degree of preparedness of each participant.

As a result of observations and studies, our geologists were able to establish that:

• Strong rocks form the lower part of the Pathor massif — its base.
• The upper part of the peak consists of strongly layered and fragile rocks.
• Due to the steep bedding of the strata from the north, strong rocks rise quite high towards the peak (up to the level of the hanging glaciers).

Thus, the upper part of the route, both the left and right options, is composed of fragile and heavily destroyed rocks. However, the right route is advantageously distinguished by the fact that all this is strongly held together by the ice and snow cap of the hanging glaciers, while the upper part of the left wall is constantly collapsing and raining down, even covering the counterforts with rockfall. Large black cones of debris are visible on the glacier. For this reason, the left option was immediately dismissed.

The right option, along the center of the north wall between the two glaciers, was attractive for its beauty, logic, and safety from falling rocks. However, the glaciers and their behavior remained a mystery. Only after prolonged observation of their life and paths of avalanche descent could the decision be made to proceed with the ascent along the route.

During the observation period from July 12 to 23, ice blocks several times crashed down with a roar. The routes of ice avalanches were marked on a photograph of the wall. The last collapse reached gigantic force. But none of them crossed the central corridor of the wall, which was in a dead, inaccessible zone for avalanches.

The relief of the north wall is quite diverse. The main forms are:

• Rocky walls covered with ice,
• Snow ridges,
• Steep ice climbs,
• Rocky outcrops.

In the upper third, the route passes along a ridge between two hanging glaciers, lying in deep, but steep cirques.

The psychological tension of the route is contained in the extended ice climbs, rocks covered with ice, and the exceptionally complex structure of the snow.

Thus, the team chose an absolutely safe and logical route, which is the main requirement for a tactical plan.

Deep reconnaissance, observations, and their results provided the team with significant assistance in resolving tactical schemes and options for passing the north wall of Peak Pathor. The team chose a scheme of movement for the entire team, which allowed solving the following tasks:

• Continuous movement of the team along the route;
• Use of daylight hours with maximum efficiency;
• Uniform workload and occupation of all team members;
• Flexibility of the team's movement scheme in relation to emerging situations.

The scheme met the specific requirements of the route, its complexity, steepness, and the composition of the advance team.

Many options were considered, of course. The variant of movement by three main pairs seemed promising, but to implement it, it was necessary to lighten the backpacks by half. However, this task turned out to be impossible.

After a stormy discussion, the team adopted a scheme of movement along fixed ropes with backpacks. The assault pair organizes the fixed ropes with strict rotation of the lead. For convenience of movement and free maneuvering, the team decided to work with ropes and cordelettes 45 m long. For 6 people, according to the scheme, 4 ropes and two cordelettes are needed. It became clear that the most effective would be the movement of the group according to the 1-2-1-1-1 scheme. This scheme should ensure the continuous movement of the entire team throughout the assault. Additionally, the scheme allowed replacing the athlete working ahead and evenly loading all team members. To implement movement according to the above scheme, the team needed 4 ropes and 2 cordelettes of equal length to the rope. The first in the group has a lightened backpack. The last participant in the group is also equipped with a lightened backpack. According to the scheme, when the group exits a bivouac, it is necessary to have 2-3 ropes of processed path from the previous day.

The movement scheme is as follows: having stopped for a bivouac, the team divides into two groups. Four people are engaged in organizing the bivouac, while the assault pair processes a section of the route. Having processed three ropes and hanging two and three ropes with cordelettes in parallel, removing secondary pitons, the pair descends to a bivouac arranged as much as possible.

The next day, the team exits the route in a certain order. The first pair, having a free rope, goes up and starts processing. The third member of the team climbs up to the second from the first pair for auxiliary work. The fourth member takes a position at the beginning of the penultimate rope. The fifth participant accepts the last one, who removes the pitons.

As soon as the lower rope is freed, it is tied to the cordelette, and the fourth participant selects it to themselves, then ties the rope to the next cordelette, and the third participant accepts the rope on their platform. By selecting the freed rope, they lift the cordelette from the fourth participant and free their own. Further, the second participant, having taken the free rope, moves along the fixed end to the group leader, delivering the cordelette end from the third participant to the end of the processed section.

In the next period:

• The 5th, 4th, and 3rd continue moving along the fixed ropes to the next nodal points,
• The cycle repeats.

Thus, the leader in the group continuously receives everything necessary. In case of rucksack extraction, the 3rd, 4th, and 5th shift to one platform, without distracting the pair working ahead. This scheme ensures continuous, clear movement.

For operational interaction, the team took two "Vitalka" radios to the wall:

• One radio was with the first participant;
• The other — with the penultimate, fifth.

The radio corrected the rhythm of the team's movement, stretched out according to the scheme.

The team took two "Pamirka" tents to the wall.

July 27, 1975

The usually cloudless blue sky is covered with a gray veil. 8:00 AM. It's cold. There was a light snowfall at night. We are seeing off the processing pair. Everyone is focused. It's clear that this gray cover is leaving its mark on the team's mood. Everyone is a bit agitated: we will be getting acquainted with the north face of Pathor for the first time.

It's no secret that we're lucky with our route. It looks great, very beautiful, and safe, despite the presence of two formidable, restless neighbors in the upper part. The guys have a challenging task: processing the snow and ice slope, the bergschrund, and reaching the rocky belt. The first problem is the heavily dissected, and therefore treacherous, glacier, still covered with snow. Everything, of course, has been thought through; discussed hundreds of times, but mentally, you return to the route. To preserve the "processors'" strength and calmly cross the glacier, the captain sends another pair with them.

The rest are tasked with:

• Observing;
• Preparing for the evacuation of the camp.

The glacier in the upper cirque is steep; the group is in crampons. By the frequent stops and slow pace, we conclude that the glacier is heavily broken and crossed by dubious snow bridges. Three hours pass. The helpers return to the camp, and the Rizaev-Galitsyn pair begins the assault. Leonid passes 140 m of a 45-degree snow slope and finds himself at the lower edge of the bergschrund. After 10 minutes, he is motionless — obviously puzzled or surprised. Finally, a decision is made. Rizaev disappears into the bergschrund. After 15 minutes, he appears under a narrow snow bridge, or rather, under a fragment of what was once a powerful bridge. After several unsuccessful attempts, he manages to climb to the surface of this snow edge and crawl to the opposite side on his belly.

The guys hang fixed ropes. Galitsyn moves forward. Yuri traverses from left to right across the snow and ice slope. After passing 60 m, he reaches the ice. Rizaev works on the ice. The slope is 65 degrees — it's necessary to go on front points, making small stops to screw in pitons. The complex section — a 50-meter ice wall — is passed. The rope is fixed under the rocky belt.

3:00 PM. It's snowing. Visibility is zero. So much for the Southwest Pamir?! The pair descends to the camp at 8:30 PM. The guys are unhappy because they passed only 30 m of rocky terrain. The rocks are steep, with a lot of ice. Well, the news isn't pleasant, but it's not a surprise for us; the bad weather is.

The next day, we decide: if the weather is excellent, we start the ascent; if it's mediocre, we process another day.

July 28, 1975

8:00 AM. The weather has decided to play with us. A nasty fog almost completely covers the wall. Last night, like the previous one, there was a light snowfall. The Pletmintsev-Zhurkin pair heads out for processing. Leonid Rizaev gives the "assault team" last-minute advice. We agree on radio communication. "In case of anything — a red flare, and wait for our arrival. Work carefully, don't rush" — that's how we see them off.

The camp is ready for evacuation. Oleg insists on practicing the movement scheme one more time. Honestly, this activity is getting old, but if it's necessary, then it's necessary. "Difficult in training — easy in battle" — Oleg's friend Sergey Bezverkhov teases him.

The movement scheme is not very simple, but only at first glance; then everything goes like clockwork.

12:00 PM. The guys are already on the rocks. We watch them through binoculars. Zhurkin works first. Volodya moves cautiously. Through the binoculars, the black rocks, covered with ice, are clearly visible. After 40 m, they make a leader change. Pletmintsev approaches a not clearly expressed internal corner and begins to climb. Climbing is complex. We see that in about 40 meters, he'll reach a 4-meter cornice, which, like a plug, closes the corner. We already have many options for passing this cornice, but Pletmintsev has his own. About eight meters before the overhang, Volodya starts to move out of the internal corner onto its left face. Finding a small ledge, he takes Zhurkin and continues climbing up the left face, using ladders to bypass the cornice on the left and appears on a ledge 10-12 meters above the cornice. It's clear that this section took a lot out of Volodya. Obviously, that's why he takes Zhurkin again and yields his place to him. The rock slope is between 60° and 90°. It changes on every section. Zhurkin, also Volodya to us, moves 30 meters up. The rocks are of medium difficulty; he goes calmly and fairly quickly. They lead him to a 16-meter snow and ice ridge.

5:00 PM. The captain is worried: "It's time for them to come down — tomorrow is the ascent; they need to rest well." The guys understand this too. They traverse the 45-degree ridge, fix the ropes, and begin their descent at 6:00 PM. A total of 45 × 3 = 135 m is passed. This is very good.

We meet the guys with tea and a great dinner. The mood is excellent. Before bedtime, we have a brief planning session.

Tomorrow:

• Rise at 6:00 AM
• Depart at 7:00 AM
• Move in pairs with 10-minute intervals to avoid waiting and gathering at the re-clipping points
• Kapitanov-Galitsyn will go first
• At the cornice, we'll pull up the rucksacks

According to preliminary calculations, we should bivouac on the snow and ice ridge.

July 29, 1975

7:00 AM. The weather today is excellent. The sky is a blue ocean.

The team's mood is great. Everything is going according to plan. We crossed the glacier and became prisoners of the fixed rope system. The snow shines so brightly that even with goggles, we have to squint.

We move fairly evenly, with small stops, which we use for photo shooting. Sergey Bezverkhov works last. The first pair is far ahead.

Psychologically, we are experiencing a significant load because walking on fixed ropes with heavy rucksacks is very unpleasant, and here we also have:

• Dubious bridges,
• Crevasses, etc.

At the cornice, we really had to pull up the load. Volodya Zhurkin went up with a rucksack. But this "high piloting" took so much strength and, most importantly, time, that after what we saw, we had no objections. It all went smoother afterwards. At 10:00 AM, we contacted the observers. They are on the shoulder of peak 5447 m and can see us perfectly in binoculars. They even spotted the place where our discarded extra ropes, removed from the "processing," rolled down. We approach the snow ridge at 4:00 PM. But the rope leads us up again. We see Oleg already 70 meters above on another snow and ice ridge. He's standing by a rock, hammering in pitons. We guess that's where the bivouac will be. We pass another 45 m of glazed rocks with a slope of 70°, and then a 45-degree, 30-meter ridge made of ice and snow. After resting a bit, we start cutting out platforms in the ice for tents. Oleg and Yuri are already "processing" the route for the next day.

7:00 PM. We managed to cut out a platform for only one tent; for the other, we cut out a ledge and hit rock. The ledge turned out to be 1 m wide and 1.5 m long. We decided: four will spend the night in a "lying" tent, and two — in a "sitting" one. We processed 2.5 ropes. The guys descended already in the dark. 60 m of ice under a thin layer of snow. The slope is 60°. The ice slope leads to a wide rocky island. Climbing on it, especially in crampons, is not a gift. Then there's ice again, but now it's covered with an 80-centimeter snow "pie." The top centimeter layer is quite grainy crust. Underneath — coarse-grained snow. Moving is very difficult and tiring. The crust is not strong enough to hold the weight of the climber. Having sunk deeply into the snow, we have to "knead" a trench. For insurance, we used ice pitons, but to hammer them in, we had to dig out a platform, sweep away the snow, and use a long sling for free verrou?

July 30, 1975

Rise at 8:00 AM. We spent the night superbly; it was a bit cramped — that's a minor detail. The guys from the "sitting" tent don't express their emotions. Primuses are in a specially cut-out niche. It's very quiet. The morning is exceptionally beautiful and fresh. We dismantle the biv